In Hindsight
by Leonna Kanine
Summary: Everyone pins Azusa as the worst character in Wizardess Heart, but I think he has room for redemption. Trigger: Abuse & extreme violence. Wizardess Heart belongs to NTT Solmare. I consider my MC, Catrina Lark, to be an original character, so she does not necessarily act like the canon MC. Feel free to insert your own MC/OC as you see fit
1. I Should've Done Something

Catrina was familiar with abuse. That much she knew. But this wasn't anything like then.

This was horror.

This was a fight for survival.

 _This was the one time she could forgive_ **him**.

"WHERE ARE YOU YOU FILTHY _BITCH?!"_

Everything was racing at once. Catrina could just barely comprehend that she had escaped his grasp. Her head whipped around the kitchen, only one thought in mind. Her hesitation lasted less than a second as she lunged for the largest knife she owned. By the time she looked up, he was there, standing menacingly in the doorway. Blood smeared across his white shirt, most of it hers. His neck and arms were raw from her clawing to get away. He panted heavily, almost in sync with her own labored breaths. The chocolate eyes that used to make her melt were now stone cold and glinted as he caught sight of her choice of defense. He chuckled, wiping away the sweat from his upper-lip with the hand that held his dagger- the same dagger Catrina had gifted him with last week for his birthday.

"Heh. You're really trying to piss me off, aren't ya? Think that's really gonna help you now? Tch, you're trembling too much to even hold it up. What a joke." He then spat blood from his injured tongue.

Catrina refused to oblige him with words. Instead, she hardened her resolve. Her grip tightened on the wooden handle, her feet took a broader stance and her trembling ceased. Those amethyst eyes that once conveyed the purest of innocence now conveyed something lethal. The man before her began to sway as he slowly stepped towards her, ensuring the anticipation was agonizing. Suddenly he jumped towards her, forcing Catrina to jerk back towards the door. But it was a bluff and he merely laughed at how quickly her determination dissolved. He kept repeating this, making her flinch with every imitated lunge, thoroughly enjoying every flicker of fear that crossed her face. The once white tile flooring was now stained crimson as his boots smeared her blood everywhere.

Ever so slowly, Catrina attempted to turn the knob on the door that would lead her to some attempt at freedom. But, of course, it was locked. Just like every other potential exit in the house. Now she knew- she knew this wasn't a psychotic break that suddenly plagued him. This was planned. He came home today, knowing this is what he wanted to do.

"D'aw, poor baby... You want out? Awww, that's too bad. You should've thought about that before you WENT OFF WITH THAT SON OF A BITCH LAST WEEK!" He lunged for real this time.

It was all Catrina could do to avoid the dagger aimed for her shoulder. She dropped to the floor and managed to slash his calf before scrambling to her feet and bolting for the front door on the other side of the house. His roar echoed through the house as he clutched his stinging flesh. Through gritted teeth he began to hobble after her, anger now at tenfold. Panic set in as Catrina fumbled to unlock the door. The blood coating her hands made it all the harder to grip the spare key she was thankful she'd hidden under a mint bowl nearby. The door finally cracked open but she didn't get very far. The man had vice-griped her ankle with his meaty hand and yanked her back inside. She busted her chin on the doorway as he dragged her until he loomed over her. He snatched her around so that she faced him and pinned her stomach under his knee.

The whites of his eyes were strained, foam had begun to leak from his mouth and any hint of love he once held for her was wiped clean.

"Trevor... Please..." Her voice was barely an audible whisper as hot tears streamed down her face.

This was nothing like then. She thought _he_ had problems but she soon realized that he didn't hold a candle to the man currently holding her hostage. She wanted to scream- needed to scream. But she couldn't. Her voice was hoarse from all the screaming she'd done at a football game he'd treated her to earlier that evening. Another part of his plan for her demise. The realization made her shudder. All those instances when her lips graced his, he was thinking of nothing more than how to make her bleed the most.

The enraged man loomed over her, patting her neck with the icy steel of the decorative dagger meant to adorn his office desk. His demeanor seemed to have settled a little but Catrina knew it was only the calm before the storm. Her eyes squeezed shut and she gulped hard, ready to accept her fate. The way she figured it, it was compensation for not being able to help him all those years ago.

"It's a shame magic has been banned without a license. Maybe then you'd have had a chance... I really am sorry to do this to you, pretty bird, but I don't like being lied to. In fact, I down right _despise_ it. You knew what you were doing when you met up with him. That damn foreigner from God knows where-"

"It wasn't like that! He was an old friend- we were just catching up because we-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! I'M TIRED OF YOUR EXCUSES! YOU'RE MINE, DAMMIT! YOU HEAR ME?! _MINE!_ AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF I WATCH YOU LEAVE ME LIKE A LITTLE SLUT BECAUSE SOME GREEN CARD BASTARD BATTED HIS EYELASHES AT YOU!"

Over the course of his raging fit, one of his callused hands wrapped around her slender neck while the other stabbed the dagger into the floor beside her head leaving gashes in the wood. Catrina resisted by instinct even if she knew it was futile. Her fingers worked to loosen his grip so she could breathe. So she could sob. _I'm sorry- I'm so sorry! If I knew how to help you then I would've! But I was only a naive little girl! I didn't know what to do for you! I'm so sorry! Please, I'm sorry!_

"GAH!" In the next instant, Trevor was flown off of Catrina by a powerful gust. _Wind... magic?_ Catrina tentatively looked up to the door. And there he was. The one man in the world she thought would never come back in her life.

An all familiar snarl formed on his features. Except this time... There was no hint of mercy. Trevor finally regained his composure after hitting a wall and having the wind knocked out of him. He glared up at the new face only for the blood to drain in the next instant.

"You- You're-"

"Not as much of a son of a bitch as you." He stood protectively over Catrina who slowly shrunk back closer to the door and made herself as small as possible.

Trevor's evil glint returned as he recognized the long brown hair and azure eyes. "Oh... I was hoping I'd get the chance to gut you." Trevor's low threat was quickly followed up by a sprinted lunge as he dove the dagger downward to the opposing man's chest.

"AZUSA, NO!" Was the most Catrina could do.


	2. I Should've Thought About You More

It all started roughly six days ago. Catrina made it a point to never dwell on the subject of her lost Buddy as it always sent her in a whirl of half depression, half regret. Although Catrina never revealed it to anyone, she was rather familiar with varying degrees of mental illness as most everyone significant in her life was plagued with one or another. So despite what people may have thought, Catrina handled her incident with Azusa with grace. Of course at the time it terrified her- she honestly believed he'd never harm her so the initial shock of the incident left her shaken, but not shattered. It wasn't her nativity that left her so defenseless, but sheer hope; she thought if she hoped enough, things would get better. But in spite of witnessing how mental disorders could affect people, she never really paused to think about what it would take to _help_ someone with mental illness. The sheer regret for not being capable of helping him then still made her stomach churn after five years. So instead of allowing that horrific night to consume her in fear and trauma, she took it as motivation to educate herself, to help people. To be more than a victim.

Yet despite all of her progress and research, she still managed to stand dumbfounded in a crowded cafe when she nearly bumped into the man who started it all.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart fluttered painfully, almost in an attempt to fly out of her chest. Her bright amethyst eyes stared up into his face, filled with wonder as he returned an expression of mild confusion. When his brain finally processed her as being the _real_ Catrina, a smile of relief washed over his handsome features. Oh, how many times had he been disillusioned and scared off a poor girl thinking it was her? How many years had he thought he heard her name called or, worse yet, her calling his? How silly he'd sometimes think that a girl he barely knew for less than two weeks could have impacted his life so drastically that all he ever thought about was seeing her again. And here she was, plucked straight from his memories. Five years didn't change a thing other than her hair now being worn free of pigtails. The change was slight, but it was enough to mature her.

A quiet warmth was shared between them as neither knew what to say but seemingly knew how the other felt. Catrina didn't need to be told- she just knew. She knew simply by looking at him that this wasn't the same man who had caused so much angst in her first year of wizarding school. The eyes were the window to the soul, and man... she could see them clearly now. The fog she never realized was there had dispersed to reveal crystal blue eyes, the kind of eyes that crinkled as his smile reached them. Any anxiety she may have built up over the years vanished as she wrapped her arms around him almost as if to confirm that he was there. But he was. And he hugged her back.

"I can't believe it's you... I can't believe you're not running away screaming..." He breathed in a low whisper.

"Heh heh. Believe it or not, I'm tougher than I look. I'm more worried about you..." Her eyes began to mist as all the mixed feelings she locked away over the years began to bubble up again at once.

"I don't think I'd be holding you right now if I wasn't better..."

She let out a chuckle, "Good point."

They finally released each other, still fascinated by the surrealism of it all. After a hasty debate, they finally decided to share a cup of coffee in the furthest nook of the local cafe. Being with him almost felt natural in an uncanny way. It was as if they had started a dance only to take a huge tumble and give up for a while, but came back to start it anew with fresher clarity of how they pictured the dance to unfold. Even Azusa was unnerved by how casual Catrina was taking the situation- he felt more uncomfortable about what happened than she did. Then again, he had been wallowing in a different kind of guilt these past few years.

"So... I don't know where to start." He nervously chuckled as his blonde roast coffee steamed in his hands.

"Weeell..." Catrina fumbled with her own cup of peach green tea, "We could start with what we've been up to this whole time. Granted, a lot can happen in five years..."

"Tell me about it... 'granted', the first two years weren't that special. So we can just skip those."

Catrina felt a slight chill as she interpreted what he meant. ' _I was hiding in the shadows, living off of sacrificed pigeons, and plotting my revenge for when I next saw you'_ she mocked in her head. And just like that, it occurred to the young wizardess that she never considered what _he'd_ do if they ever met again. She'd been so concerned with bettering herself to help him that she never wondered if he'd even _want_ help. Her shortsightedness could've very easily been her downfall just now if things hadn't played out the way they did. Her lips formed a hard line as she replayed different scenarios in her head despite better judgment.

Azusa noticed her prolonged silence so he reached a hand out to grasp hers. She jerked and spilled hot tea over both their hands.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" She quickly dabbed away the mess before he took both her hands in his and made her look at him.

"Catrina..." His azure orbs searched hers. "It's okay." Those words were surprisingly comforting. But still, she had to know...

"How can you be so sure?" Her eyes were downcast as the whisper barely reached his ears. All those years he thought about endless scenarios of meeting her again, how she'd react, what he'd tell her to make her understand he was better, her level of doubt. But in all those scenarios, she was still mad, scared, damaged beyond repair almost. The way her eyes lit up earlier only to be drained instantly was nothing he ever anticipated. But, he thought about his lessons and what he learned and decided to pull back. Nothing made something run away faster than pursuing it.

"I've, uh... I've gotten some help. Over the years." At this, her interest peeked. Quite the opposite of her assumptions, he didn't need her help. He sought it on his own. The true mark of someone wanting to change.

"Oh, really? Like, what kind of help?" She was nervous her excitement showed and twiddled her thumbs mindlessly. He gave a half attempted laugh before continuing.

"Ah, after the first year and a half, they finally caught me." Oh. He didn't get help on his own. It was forced onto him. "The Ministry thoroughly analyzed me and my background until they found out about the Nue haunting me, controlling me. It took several priests and bishops to weaken it, but it finally quieted down to a pathetic whisper calling on me in the night. My psychologist explained to me that despite what the bishops accomplished; only I could finally break free of the Nue for good. Naturally, I was resilient to all of the treatments at first. Denial hit me hard. I'd nearly broken free of the institution at least four times, but they had a similar hallucination spell placed on their forest that I always got lost in. And then I'd start thinking of you."

If Catrina could even become more intrigued by his story, it was at this point.

"Not to scare you or anything, but at first I was angry. The Nue didn't help as he kept insisting it was because of you that our plan failed. I spent months drawing you and scratching out your face. I wrote down wicked fictions of what I'd do to you if we ever met. I even strangled my pillow and imagined it as you."

Catrina instantly felt sick and recoiled slightly in her chair. Maybe he hasn't changed... maybe he was letting her defenses down before he went for the kill. She began formulating plans on how she'd lose him in the city and zigzag her way home in case he tried to follow her. Maybe she'd make an inconspicuous stop at the police station. Then she was suddenly pulled out of her hypothetical train of thought.

"... but they noticed how little progress I was making on coming to terms with the Nue myself, so they began to sneak pills in my food that blocked everything out. It was borderline terrifying. I couldn't feel anything, emotionally or physically. I'd just lay there for hours, drugged and left to my own thoughts. I could feel the Nue prodding to get inside my head, but the thick fog I had insulating my thoughts kept him out. I was alone. Completely and purely alone for the first time in a long time..." Azusa seemed to recall the distant memories of being held captive, not only in the facility, but his own body.

He was quiet for a while, so Catrina had to urge him to continue, "And then what?"

"I thought." He shrugged. "I thought and thought until I got sick of what the voice inside my head sounded like. I thought about everything- I started off analyzing how I felt about you, but couldn't come up with an honest answer. So I started simpler and retraced my steps like my psychiatrist had tried to. I thought about my parents and how they died. My life as the village Onmyoji. The pressure of being a child expected to support himself and his little brother alone. How the weight of the world finally crushed me when Tsukasa passed... I was filled with grief and pain until I couldn't stand it. ... But at one point, they gave me an ink blot test. And I saw a butterfly..." He subconsciously grasped at the necklace left by his late brother.

"And I kept seeing it long after that... Even in my hallucinations. It got to the point I'd chase a golden one in my dreams. And every time it'd lead me back to that one spot. The one where I..." He trailed off, but Catrina knew the one. That tree in the forest where fear consumed her and rage consumed him.

He gave a heavy sigh, "Eventually, I started thinking of you again. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it in malice. Thoughts of your smiles and warm expressions began to come naturally. How excited you got over little things and equally embarrassed by others. It all started to come back to me in a different light, a nicer light. Before I knew it, I looked forward to my daily dosage so I could sit there and fantasize about you being happy..."

Catrina's throat tightened as she hung on to his every word. "But, eventually, the Nue found out. As weak as it was, it still had enough hold on me to sense what I'd been thinking. He tried to turn it all around, make you out to be a horrible person who only helped me so you could steal the unicorn horn from me, then pity me like you always had, that you never cared about me in the first place... Then he eventually said that I never cared about you either."

Catrina's eyes wavered. "And?"

" And..." He grinned, "I finally had enough."


	3. 106 May Have Been Too Many

Maybe four days had passed since Trevor's attack. Catrina's bruises were finally starting to fade from deep purple to a sickly yellow. Her gashes, however, still traced along her body with terribly uncomfortable stitches that needed constant cream placed on them. Azusa felt his heart flicker in pain every time he saw her. Thirty-two cuts. He had cut her thirty-two goddamn times. Thirty-two too many. Azusa made fists every time he remembered. He still didn't think he did enough to him. After giving him 106 cuts, burn marks all long his left side and making him vomit blood, he still didn't think he did enough.

Catrina was fumbling awkwardly from her bed in an attempt to reach the kitchen for some water. Despite Azusa staying with her to look after her, she refused to make him do more than necessary. She found fetching water to be frivolous and demanded to do it herself. That is, if she could get past the bedroom door.

She was leaning against the door frame, too dazed to stand up straight when he came to check on her. "Catrina, I told you if you need anything, I can get it."

"It'sjus' wadder..." She slurred. The doctor's gave her heavy duty pain relief medication, both to help her ignore her stitches and to help numb her traumatic memories until she was well enough to talk to a professional. Azusa gently sighed as he led her back to the bed.

"That includes water. Now, would you like ice?"

"Yas, an' a straw."

"And a straw."

Azusa made sure she was comfortable before setting off to the kitchen. He remembered those days- so disoriented from drugs he couldn't hardly tell if he breathing on his own or not. The kitchen was immaculate; he'd made sure to bleach everything and left no trace of blood from when it was smeared everywhere. The image still made his jaw set tight in anger, but he tried to push past it as he rummaged through her cupboards for a glass.

He began to remember the police arriving and how the youngest one muttered, "Mother of God..." when he approached the kitchen to investigate the scene. The ambulance took Trevor to a hospital and the police informed them that he'd be incarcerated once he was well enough to be taken in. The older officer wore a suspicious gleam as he eyed Azusa, clearly contemplating whether he should be arrested as well or not. It was a recent law that was placed a couple years ago that magic couldn't be used without a license as too many wizards used it carelessly and too many people began to fear what they could do. Having been released from a correctional office, Azusa would never be able to obtain one, and giving his track record, the odds were against him. But when the officer saw Catrina shakily latch onto Azusa, he knew it just wouldn't be right. He used magic illegally, but he used it for a good reason. The other man wasn't dead, and if it wasn't for him, she might be. The officer left him with a fine and even gave permission for him to ride with Catrina to the hospital. Azusa remembered his name as Jeff Conway. He made a point to never forget it.

Azusa returned to the bedroom to see Catrina blankly staring at the ceiling, a somber expression ruining her usual cheerful face. "You okay?" He asked as he sat the glass down with a dull thud on her nightstand.

"This all happened because I met you again."

Silence.

The silence was so still the clock from the living room could be heard clearly ticking away.

Azusa's stomach plummeted and his heart felt icy as the world fell under his feet. After a moment of standing, he slowly sat down on the floor beside her bed, eyes unblinking. A familiar sense of dread and shock filled his being. He brought his knees to his chest and was about to dwell in his renewed misery when a gentle hand rested on his head.

"Thank you."

He glanced up, unsure if he heard her right. "What?"

"Thank you." She smiled down at him, "If none of that ever happened, I'd still be living with a man who could kill me at a moment's notice. So, thank you for opening my eyes." Azusa's mind was blank as he slowly tried to understand her reasoning.

"If it wasn't because of you, it'd be because of someone else. He would've snapped just as easily had I ran into Yukiya instead of you. Or Elias or Luca. He would've snapped just as easily if we were married or if I was pregnant. It would've happened regardless. But I'm glad that it happened because I met you. I'm glad that it happened now before it was too late." Her face was gentle and her hand warm as she cupped his cheek.

He closed his eyes as fresh, hot tears blinked down his face. He was a bastard in his own right. He didn't deserve her no matter how he tried to make amends. But goddamn it, he was grateful for her. He appreciated her kind, forgiving love with every fiber of his being. That's why she made such an impact on him. He knew even with the Nue telling him otherwise that she was pure, unconditional love. She was exactly what he needed. He was too weak to protect her then, to fight his own evil for her sake. But he'd be damned if he didn't now.

"It's cold..." Catrina mumbled.

Azusa grinned with his eyes still closed. "Does that mean the princess requires more blankets?"

She poked his cheek, "Body heat warms up faster." Azusa finally looked up to meet her eyes. Her face was playful and not nearly as groggy as the medicine began to wear off. He pushed himself off the floor dramatically, groaning and acting as though it was the biggest chore in the world. Catrina giggled as he lazily made his way around the queen bed to join her under the covers. He rested his back against the headboard while she snuggled into his stomach, her smile never leaving her lips.

He began stroking her side affectionately as a light drizzle began to come down outside. None of the lights were on since all the windows let in plenty of light despite the weather being gray and dreary. But it was a pretty kind of gray, the bright kind where the sun wasn't directly visible but you knew it was there because the world was bleached. Everything was quiet except the few songbirds protesting against the sudden rain.

"You wanna pop in a movie?" She suddenly asked, glancing up at him adorably.

He brushed her bangs aside while pursing his lips, "Depends. What movie?"

"Something Disney..." She sheepishly mumbled while burying her face back in his abdomen. He let out an exasperated sigh while his head began to bang itself on the wooden headpiece.

"What's. With. You. And. Dis-ney. Mov-ies." Every syllable was accompanied by a head bang.

"What's with _you_ and Disney movies? Everyone likes Disney movies. You're the weird one." She shot back at him while pouting.

Another grin graced his handsome face. "Okay, how about this. You pick a Disney movie but after that, I get to choose a horror flick."

"That's no fair! The horror movie should come first so I'm not forced to think about it afterwards..." She made a good point. Now probably wasn't the best time to give her more anxiety than necessary.

Azusa scratched his head as he rethought a different wager. "Alright... How about one Disney movie for as many kisses as I want?"

Catrina's face went as pink as her eyes. She didn't think he was capable of being so flirtatious. The change in mood made her fidget. "Um, but, I'm all beat up. I'm not even cute right now. How could you possibly want to kiss me?"

He squirmed his way underneath her so that they were eye-to-eye. Then he held her face with his long fingers and placed a gentle kiss on her dry lips. When they parted, she blinked in surprise much to his amusement. "Because I don't care what you look like, you're still you." He wanted to tell her it was because love can see past little hiccups like that, but he didn't want to throw around such a weighty word just yet. He was back in her life now and he wasn't going anywhere. He'd have plenty of time to tell her once he knew she felt the same.

They finally agreed on Mulan since it wasn't too sickly romantic and was most relatable for Azusa. And as they lay there, snuggled in each other's arms, Azusa finally felt whole. He knew he'd have to work to keep the peace in his life, but with Catrina by his side again, he had no worries he'd be able to. Because it took a special person to accept you despite your demons. And Azusa found just that- someone who could look past that and help him finally heal the way he needed to.


	4. I Should Be More Honest

"And you're sure you want him to live with you?" Klaus asked for the millionth time as he set his tea cup back in its saucer, eyebrow raised.

" _Yes_ , Klaus. I super-duper-no-cop-no-stop, over the top, ready to pop _sure_ I want him to live with me." Catrina propped her chin with a hand as she grinned at her old Prefect and friend.

Since Azusa was such a high security risk, he wasn't allowed to traverse unsupervised. He was meant to have weekly meetings, now monthly, with a designated person from the Ministry. And low-behold the irony as Klaus became his supervisor.

"I still don't understand what you see in him, but I suppose that's part of your own personal charm." Klaus remarked with a sigh. Given that Azusa lost his temper and harmed a civilian, he was _supposed_ to be sent back to the institution to be rehabilitated. But, as luck would have it, Klaus still had a soft spot for the little wizardess so it only took a batch of chocolate cookies and some batty eyelashes to convince him to help smooth over the ordeal with the heads of the Ministry. After some tests and observations, it was proven that Azusa was, in fact, better off in Catrina's care than he had been anywhere else. So, under the unique circumstances, the Ministry decided it was best to leave Azusa with Catrina given that Catrina gives full consent and that Azusa continues his meetings with Mr. Goldstein.

"Very well, I'll write to headquarters confirming your decision. And, as per protocol, I'm responsible for informing you of all the regulations regarding his condition. If at any point you witness these traits, I urge you to contact us immediately..." Catrina sat and endured Klaus's rehearsed terms and conditions for the next fifteen minutes before leaving his office.

"Oh, and Catrina?"

She stopped just as she had one foot out the door. "Yes, Klaus?" She smiled sweetly.

"Thank you." The sincerity in his eyes left Catrina speechless. Thank you for what? Thank you for accepting a crazy man and making him a better person?

"If you're thanking me for giving him a chance, there's no need. If anything, I should be thanking you. You're the last person I expected to help him. So... thank you." With that, she was gone.

Klaus fiddled with the pens on his desk, "Yeah..." He sighed, "Me too."

Azusa perked up as soon as he heard the click-clack of her heels enter the waiting room. "Shall we?" She beamed at him. "We shall." He grinned as he took her hand.

Almost a month had passed since everything went downhill, but it felt like maybe a week to Catrina. Time flew with Azusa around and everyday seemed to brighten a little more. There was an obvious skip in her step as they walked along the sidewalk to their house just barely on the outside of the city. Well, it wasn't quite _their_ house. It was technically Trevor's, but Catrina had been living there for the past two years, so it was home for now until new arrangements could be made. A pretty loft apartment two streets down caught her eye but she needed to save up more money to afford a moving company. She was still unclear about how Azusa gained income. Was it a monthly check from the government? Was he allowed to work at a normal job? Did they have specific, designated jobs he could do through the ministry? She wanted to ask but also felt it was too private a topic to bring up yet.

"Would you like to grab some coffee on the way back?" Azusa's suggestion blew all of those previous thoughts away as Catrina grinned up at him.

"I'd love to."

A few minutes later, they were in the same cafe that they'd rekindled their relationship in. As per routine, he ordered a blonde roast, she ordered a peach green tea, and they sat in the farthest nook with window space. They've been taking their relationship rather slow despite living together. Most conversations were idle in the day and grew more serious at night. Right now was time for idle conversation.

"So, how've the years been with Klaus as a supervisor?"

"A big pain in my ass." He heaved a heavy sigh, getting ready to rant. "He's so immaculate it's exhausting. I had to do every little thing perfect to the finest detail. If he thought I slacked at all in the slightest, he'd make me redo it. Like, this one time the ministry had me assist cooking for a big event- something about a Ministry Judge's birthday or something- so I was stuck with prepping food. He'd watch my every move then critique me if the vegetables weren't cut right or if I was holding the knife wrong. If I wiped the sweat off my brow, he'd make me wash my hands immediately. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to grab a fist full of lettuce and throw it at his face."

At that, Catrina burst out laughing. The image in her head was comedy gold- Azusa, completely annoyed, tossing chopped lettuce at Klaus's face- Klaus, stunned for a moment before throwing his own handful of lettuce at Azusa- a food fight ensues. Her laughter was contagious as Azusa began to chuckle at the thought as well. When the laughter died down, Azusa seemed pensive. Catrina, ever the observer, asked him what was on his mind.

"I just... I want to ask but at the same time I don't want to trigger any bad memories if it's too soon..." She caught on to what he meant instantly. Trevor. He wanted to ask about Trevor.

"Go ahead and ask- I don't mind." She smiled sweetly at him, almost completely unphased by the topic of her murderous ex-boyfriend. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned by her lack of trauma or impressed. Maybe she was made of stronger mettle than he initially gave her credit for. Or the therapy was just that great.

He cleared his throat before continuing, "Um, how'd you two even meet? Honestly, I'd figured if you fell in love with anybody it'd be one of your classmates like Elias or Yukiya."

Catrina was sipping her tea, nodding in acknowledgement. "Yeah, that probably would've been the most logical course of action, but something about dating a man from the same wizarding school you attended kind of... felt off. Like, I was completely abandoning you or replacing you. I needed a completely fresh start to truly get over what happened. That's not to say I'm not still great friends with them- we've all stayed in touch, surprisingly. Luca's as aloof as always, but he flies into town once a blue moon. Elias is now a teacher at Gedonelune; he started a class for making magic tools. Yukiya finally went home and took over the family property which he turned into a farm for magical plants. He even rehabilitates animals and magical beasts when he can."

She was avoiding the subject. Maybe it was too soon. Azusa nodded along anyways, mildly relieved that all of Catrina's friends moved on to live normal lives. He may not have known any of them particularly well but she cared about them, so he indirectly cared about them as well.

"But, about Trevor..." He was surprised she actually brought him back up. His interest peaked tenfold as his eyes studied her intently. "Well, we actually met about two years ago- right after the new law was passed. I was having trouble reaching something from the top shelf in a grocery store, you know, really cliche. He saw me struggling and decided to help. He introduced himself immediately and was quick to ask me on a date. I was flustered enough to say yes without even really thinking about it. No one had actually approached me so directly in so long, I just kind of went with it. The rest is pretty much history. We kept going on dates, getting to know each other, slowly falling in love... it was an ordinary relationship. Until recently..." She trailed off, staring into her tea as a means to meditate before the depression could sink in.

Azusa bit his lip before saying, "Kind of the opposite of us, huh?"

Catrina's eyes widened before she chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. We did everything in reverse."

"At least now you can trust that our relationship will be smooth sailing from now on. Kind of." Catrina giggled again as Azusa made a comical face.

"I'm sure if we can survive our past traumas, we can survive anything." She grinned at him, eyes brimming with kindness. His heart fluttered at that face. His heart fluttered at everything she did, honestly.


End file.
